On Tuesday, December 14, 2004, at 05:04 PM, Margaret Ball wrote:
>JOdel at aol.com wrote:
>> So okay, here in America we pretend that we don't sort anybody and we
> shove all kids through a 12-year academic curriculum aimed at
> preparing them for college.
>>>> We do? Not in my day. (Note: I'm one of the groups token old-farts.)
>> Not in my day, either, and I bet I'm an older fart than you.
Of those who confessed to their age, you and I are the two oldest
farts, equal in age.
> But I've just finished getting two kids of vastly different
> temperaments and abilities through a one-size-fits-all school system,
> and that's what it looks like from where I stand. The older kid, who
> is neither interested in nor equipped to handle a four-year college
> education, had to take exactly the same courses as the younger one,
> who breezed through high school in three years and piled up a few
> college credits on the side just to alleviate boredom.
Public education is basically a baby-sitting and socialization service
provided by the government to a society that isn't willing to deal with
its young.
The real use of public education is to accustom people to be compliant
in groups and to learn to obey the clock. That is, the real use of
public
education is to equip people to work in factories and offices.
That said, I'm glad they taught me to read and I'm glad I finally
learned
I was good at mathematics, but ....
------------------------------------
- The first rule of holes:
when you're in one, stop digging.
-- Molly Ivins
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